Do You Owe Your Time to “Both Sides”?

By Jo Lorenz

Here is a photo of one of our dogs. His name is Bruce. He is pictured with a pineapple. And no matter how many times someone tells me that this is, in fact, a cat named Phyllis, sitting with an orange, it will never be true.

I often get asked to engage in “good faith” discussions with people who have differing opinions to mine — and I am all for that! After all, good faith discussions are based on truth and honesty, as well as being open to new evidence and differing perspectives. These good faith discussion requests are usually always issued from people with a more conservative political outlook than me (and side bar: it’s almost always men throwing down said gauntlet).

Now there are PLENTY of conservative people with whom I am delighted to have good faith discussions — and frequently do! While our views and base values may be different, we are able to have a moral, candid exchange as our arguments are grounded in fact.

However, let’s be clear: being told I have to listen to “both sides” by delusional people who are sprouting blatant misinformation is just never going to happen. I do not owe an iota of my time or energy to people who insist on bad faith discussions. Not. Fucking. Happening.

So to the people that want to debate the existence of climate change: no. To the people that want to debate the existence of white privilege and racism: no. To the people that want to debate the efficacy of vaccines: no. Your defensiveness does not equal discernment and your fear does not equal fact.

Yes, we can debate solutions. And yes, we can debate strategy. But no, we cannot debate the existence of FACTS. Because that is futile fuckery and an unproductive use of my time.

Only listening to news or people you agree with can lead to dichotomisation — there is no doubt. Yet just because I do not agree with you does not mean I have not considered differing points of view, or that I am blindly in cahoots with the Master of Echo Chambers. It just means I disagree with you. Plain and simple.

Good faith discussions? I’m in! But indulging the “both sides” argument of ill-informed fools who rely on low effort thinking? Nah bruh, I’m out.

This is Bruce. He likes facts. Be like Bruce.